Family Practice

This episode was brilliantly directed. It stands alone as being the darkest episode of the series.

Every shot, every camera angle had a dark intenseness, the dialog most of all! From the private office conversations, to the "godfather like" low lighting in the intense scenes between house and cutty, to the threats to Masters, then puking in the bathroom. And splitting open Taub's face on the urinal.

But House's low, gravelly, monetone, one on one dialog steals the show in creating that darkness that puts "Family Practice" a world apart from the rest of the series.

The staff working for house, exhausts every test known to man to diagnose an unexplained patient illness ... well, you have to waste 50 minutes somehow... this alleged doctor is pitiful at best, yet in the final minutes manages to cure the patient ... week after week of the same droll crap

Candice Bergen is back as Cuddy's mother. She has heart symptoms but her connection to Cuddy becomes a big problem. She wants nothing to do with House which leads to some big time duplicity to get the proper meds to her behind her doctor's back. Miss M & M is there for the whole thing, playing anti-House. I don't know why, but I can't stand her character. She is self righteous but also too green for this team. They've decided in the writing to have House see her as important. Since the beginning of Season 7, House has mellowed too much.

Taub takes a job with his wife's brother, a litigator with a violent streak. He offers Taub a job, even though he hates him from previous contact. But Taub can't stop being a doctor and notices something on an x-ray. Things go south.

Cuddy is torn and she says herself that one should never treat a relative. Pretty good episode.

This episode captures the emotional toll of working under someone whose behavior is manipulative and often dismissive of others' boundaries. This type of environment fosters constant tension, mistrust, and stress, making it clear that even the most competent teams can crumble when led by someone who prioritizes their ego over collaboration and respect.

Also, this episode serves as a powerful reminder to evaluate the environments we choose to work in and to advocate for ourselves when faced with toxicity.

If you are reading this and facing a similar situation, sometimes, the best solution is to step away and seek a healthier, more supportive space to grow.

One of the best episodes of the series (which makes it one of the best TV eps ever). Beautifully lit and shot, hats off to the cinematographer and lighting director! Reminded me of "Twelve Angry Men" and was really stressful, which means it caused me to emote, which isn't easy because I'm a grizzled geezer with ~30 years in the medical field. So sure, I had to suspend disbelief for a minute because no one in their right mind would consider mislabeling meds, and risking (read: expecting) the complications from the deception that would cause... but wow, I was cheering for the old hag to not just circle the drain but to hear a nice flushing sound as she was dispatched. Hope that's not a spoiler; it could go either way, which is why this installment of "House, M. D." is the greatest of the greatest!